


Parallax

by Xochiquetzl



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Alternate Reality, Doppelganger, Multi, One of My Favorites
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-01-26
Updated: 2003-01-26
Packaged: 2017-10-04 19:12:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xochiquetzl/pseuds/Xochiquetzl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daniels and Sams and Parallel Universes, oh my!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Parallax

Main Entry: **par·al·lax**  
Pronunciation: `'par-&-"laks`  
Function: _noun_  
Etymology: Middle French _parallaxe, _from Greek _parallaxis, _from _parallassein _to change, from _para- + allassein _to change, from _allos _other  
Date: 1580  
**:** the apparent displacement or the difference in apparent direction of an object as seen from two different points not on a straight line with the object; _especially_ **:** the angular difference in direction of a celestial body as measured from two points on the earth's orbit

* * *

Daniel knocked on Jack's door and looked at his watch impatiently. The door opened, and Sara said, "Oh, hi. Come on in, he's running late. As usual." She rolled her eyes affectionately, and Daniel smiled at her and followed her inside.

"Can I have one of those?" he asked, looking at her mug of coffee.

"Sure!" she said, leading him into the kitchen, where Jack was sitting at the table.

"Promise me you'll drive safely while I'm away?" Jack said as Sara and Daniel entered the room.

"Oh, for crying out loud, Dad!" Cassandra objected. "I had **one** accident!" Jack gave her a dirty look, and she muttered, "I promise! Geeze!" She headed for the door. "Charlie! Time for school!"

Sara handed Daniel a cup of coffee, and he leaned against the counter and took a sip.

Jack stood, and demanded, "Hug your old man before you go!"

Cassandra rolled her eyes, stomped over, and hugged him.

Charlie wandered in and grabbed a dog bone, and tossed it at the sad-eyed golden retriever who was following him around. "Can I have a motorcycle?"

"No," Sara replied promptly.

"But riding to school with my sister is so **uncool**!" he whined.

"No," Sara said. "School. Now."

Jack winked at Charlie, and Charlie grinned.

"I saw that, and the answer is still no!" Sara scowled at them, and they both lowered their heads and looked away. "No more conspiring! School!"

Charlie gave Sara a peck on the cheek, patted the dog, and gave Cassandra a head-incline towards the door. Cassandra grabbed her purse and schoolbooks off the table, and she and Charlie headed off to school. Sara, Jack, and Daniel sipped their coffee and listened to the door slam.

"We're late, you know," Daniel said.

"Yeah, I keep hoping that if I leave them alone together enough Murray'll kill McKay." Jack smirked quietly into his coffee.

"Jack," Sara chastised, trying not to laugh. "How bad can he be?"

"Bad," Daniel said. "Take our word for it." He snorted into his mug, then exchanged a mischievous look with Jack.

"When do I get to meet him and decide for myself?" Sara persisted.

"Jesus! Never, I hope! That would involve seeing him **socially**." Jack made a horrified face and shuddered visibly.

Daniel laughed and put his mug in the sink. "Come on, let's go save McKay."

"Do we have to?" Jack faux-whined, but he rinsed out his mug and put it in the dishwasher, and Daniel followed suit. Jack then kissed Sara on the cheek and said softly, "See you when I get back."

Daniel tried not to wince visibly, and Sara hugged him. "We should get together when you get back. Barbecue?"

"Yeah, that'd be... great." It would be torture, like the toothache you can't help but keep poking to see if it still hurts, but Daniel knew he wouldn't be able to stay away. He loved Sara. And Cassie, and Charlie. They couldn't help being the family of the man he loved in a completely non-Platonic way. He smiled at Sara, then told Jack, "I'll... wait in the car." He knew Jack wanted to give his wife a proper goodbye kiss, but couldn't bring himself to do it in front of him.

Sara watched Daniel with big, sad, worried eyes, and Daniel kind of half-smiled reassuringly and left. He could picture it in his mind--Jack kissing her. He was jealous, but he couldn't bring himself to want to break them up. He wished he could stop picturing it, stop imagining Jack kissing him instead, stop his lips from tingling, imagining Jack kissing him...

He dully climbed into the passenger seat of Jack's truck and buckled himself in. He wrapped his arms around himself, leaned his head back against the headrest, and closed his eyes. Maybe if Sha'uri...

_Don't go there. _No, it was best to avoid that train of thought.

He heard the car door open, but didn't open his eyes.

"You..." Jack started, but apparently he couldn't find the words to continue.

"I think it would be better for both of us if we didn't rehash old ground." Daniel opened his eyes and looked out the window, away from Jack. "I'm fine."

"If I wasn't... you know I..." Jack sighed explosively. "Jesus!"

"I know," Daniel said.

They exchanged a long, meaningful look, then Jack started the car. "I feel like I should encourage you to date," Jack informed the steering wheel.

"Please don't."

"I feel guilty."

"It's not like you're cheating," Daniel observed, a bit more sharply than necessary. "It's not like I'd lie to your wife, even if you would, which you wouldn't."

"I meant I feel like I'm leading you on," Jack admitted softly.

"Oh." It was a flat, embarrased monosyllable, almost an apology.

Jack turned and looked at Daniel. "You can do better than me. You shouldn't waste your time..."

"You're not leading me on," Daniel interrupted. "You've made it abundantly clear that you're not going to leave your wife."

"Daniel..."

"I don’t **want** you to leave your wife."

"I know." Jack stared at the steering wheel some more. "I'm hurting you."

Jack looked at Daniel, looking for... forgiveness? Daniel couldn't tell, so he just shook his head. "Just... Let's go. We're late."

Jack sighed and put the truck in gear.

"It's just going to hurt. There's nothing we can do about it," Daniel told the window handle.

"I know." Jack backed out of the driveway. "It hurts us, too," Jack notified the rear-view mirror. "We love you."

"I know."

"I love you more than she does," Jack said softly, stopping the car and putting it in a forward gear. He looked over at Daniel again, wondering anxiously if that was the worst thing he could say. He hoped it wasn't. He hated hurting Daniel.

Daniel smiled a little, and said, "I know. Thanks."

Jack sighed, relieved, and continued driving.

"And if you hate McKay so much, maybe you should have given his spot to Doctor Markov, like General Hammond suggested." Daniel tried to look innocent, but he couldn't keep the corner of his mouth from sneaking up.

They were stopped at a stop sign, so Jack turned to give Daniel a dirty look, much to Daniel's amusement.

"Think we'll find Sam? Um, well, **a** Sam?" Daniel sighed.

"Hope so," Jack answered, "although we might have to settle for nifty gizmos."

"Let's hope for both," Daniel said.

"Yeah."

* * *

"I've been waiting here for twenty minutes!" McKay complained. Loudly.

"Sorry," Jack replied in a tone conveying his complete lack of remorse.

Teal'c glowered, and McKay subsided.

The wormhole engaged, and SG-1 entered the event horizon.

They emerged in some kind of dimly-lit laboratory. At the far end was the trans-dimensional mirror. They crossed the room towards it, and Daniel fumbled for the remote.

"They **do** know not to give me C-rations with citrus in them, don't they?" McKay asked.

"Are you allergic or something?" Jack asked maliciously.

"I don't **want** to be on a field team!" McKay announced. "Didn't Svetlana Markov...?"

Jack gave McKay a dirty look. Daniel tried not to laugh.

"I picked you out of spite," Jack said breezily.

One of the chevrons on the Stargate lit.

"And here's where I panic and scream like a girl," McKay announced. "You should really reassign me to a nice, comfortable office..."

Another chevron lit up, and then another. Daniel hesitated, considering running back to dial back home. Jack said, "No time," and handed Daniel the mirror remote. Daniel turned it on. An identical room was clearly visible... complete with lit Stargate chevrons. Jack looked back at their Stargate as more chevrons lit up, then exchanged a look with Daniel, who nodded and turned the dial. Jaffa already in the room and aiming. Daniel turned the dial again, the other direction.

"I'm too valuable for field duty!" McKay turned on Daniel, accusingly. "This is **your** fault! You're setting a bad example!"

The wormhole engaged, and some serpent guards emerged. They fired, grazing McKay's arm. Daniel dialed again. Another identical room... except the Stargate chevrons were dark. Daniel grabbed McKay's hand, and they all touched the mirror, finding themselves on the other side. One of the Jaffa aimed at the mirror, so Daniel quickly switched it off.

Jack heard a noise behind them, and turned to see...

Jack, Sam, Teal'c, and... Robert Rothman? Rothman was holding what looked like a fossil in one hand and what looked like a Venus of Willendorf in the other. He stared at Daniel, then beamed.

"This man requires medical assistance," Teal'c announced.

"May we borrow your infirmary until our **friends** leave?" Jack asked.

"Of course!" Sam answered. Her Jack gave her a dirty look, and she looked back, confused, and mouthed, "What?"

"Ow! the field sucks!" McKay clutched his arm and winced.

They turned and walked towards the Stargate, one of the Teal'cs supporting McKay, and the other Teal'c dialed.

The two Jacks eyed each other suspiciously. Then they all stepped through the Stargate together.

* * *

"You're going to be just fine," Janet reassured McKay.

"Yeah, I've heard **that** before," McKay remarked darkly, causing the two Jacks to roll their eyes in unison, then give each other baleful looks.

Daniel had a headache from Sam explaining why she was here and Daniel wasn't. Poor Sam--their Sam, not the Sam here. She'd told them she wasn't a Goa'uld. They hadn't believed her. "Is there a place where I could lie down?" he asked.

"I'll just take him down to visitor's quarters," their Jack volunteered.

"So, Carter," Daniel heard his Jack ask as he left, "what do you know about Naquada reactors?"

* * *

Jack led the way in silence, then closed the door behind them and asked, quietly, "You going to be okay?"

Daniel nodded, then looked up into Jack's eyes, and said, "I think you hate him more than you... he... usually hates other Jacks."

"Damn straight," Jack hissed darkly. "That asshole has **everything**, and I have nothing. Sara, Charlie, you..."

"We're not..." Daniel sighed. "He's **married**."

Jack froze, staring, processing while Daniel stared back, blinking anxiously.

"I'm sorry, you... didn't..." Daniel took a long, deep breath. "If you... I hope I didn't..."

Jack grinned a savagely ironic, feral smile. "Now I **really** hate him." He softened slightly at Daniel's alarm. "It's okay," he reassured. "I just..." He sighed.

"Sara had to point it out to us," Daniel sighed back, rolling his eyes affectionately.

Somehow Jack doubted that Sara had had to point it out to the other Jack. He'd noticed all by himself, right about the time he decided not to die on Abydos. To live, despite the fact that he'd accepted he'd never have what made his life worth living. "You and she good friends?" Jack asked wistfully, suspecting he knew the answer. Sara would adore Daniel.

"Yeah," Daniel confirmed, "you... he and Sara kind of... adopted me after Sha'uri..." Daniel looked hopeful for a moment. "Is Sha'uri...?"

"I'm **so** sorry."

Daniel looked away, hugging himself, lips tightening in frustration. After a moment, he commented, "I keep hoping we'll find a reality where she's alive."

_You'd just hate him,_ Jack thought, but he remained silent. Finally, he said, "Get some rest."

"Stay awhile?" Daniel asked.

"Want to get out of here?" Jack counteroffered. Jack grinned mischievously, and Daniel couldn't help but smile back.

"Nap first. Escape later."

"Okay." Jack headed for the door.

"Take McKay some pie?" Daniel asked, laying his arm over his eyes.

* * *

Jack wouldn't be bringing McKay pie for anyone but Daniel.

It was worth it for his alternate's raised eyebrows. Let him wonder. Asshole.

Jack had an escape to plan. The mountain was designed to keep people out, not in, so it probably wouldn't be a problem. He supposed he could just ask to take Daniel off base, or just try to walk out the door with him, but then if they said no they'd be watching for an escape. No, it was easier to ask forgiveness later.

* * *

Jack stood to take his dirty plate to the kitchen. He reached out his hand, an offer to take Daniel's plate as well.

Daniel giggled drunkenly as he spilled Chinese takeout all over himself. Deciding beer would make matters better, he slammed the remainder of his bottle and grinned mischievously up at Jack. "Got another?"

Jack looked down at Daniel's open, smiling face, and thought that maybe, just maybe, there **was** a thing or two he could do to convince **his** Daniel to descend. Maybe. One or two. Maybe more. Starting with his lips on the nape of Daniel's neck and working his way down to... he should really stop right there.

Daniel lunged for Jack's beer and slammed it, too. "He who hesitates is lost." His eyes sparkled.

Jack decided that Daniel was just about the single most adorable drunk he'd ever seen. "Plan on wearing your dinner all night?"

Daniel peeled off his shirt and pants and tossed them at Jack, then grinned naughtily up at him. Jack tried unsuccessfully not to stare, swallowed hard, then staggered off towards the kitchen. He then gathered up Daniel's clothes and headed towards the laundry room. He was tackled by an almost deadweight Daniel, his back hitting the wall hard as his face was grabbed and pulled forward into a kiss.

Jack pulled away. "We..." He sighed. "I'm not him."

"I know," Daniel replied sadly, "but I think we... I need.." He looked away, pulling back, and Jack drew him close and kissed him again. Daniel leaned heavily on Jack, forehead resting on Jack's shoulder.

Jack reached up to hug Daniel, but was hampered by his hands being full of dirty clothes. He waved them uncertainly for a moment or two, then ended up just dropping them on the floor and squeezed Daniel close. "We can... talk about it when we're sober," Jack promised. "I just think it's a bad idea."

"Terrible idea," Daniel breathed into Jack's chest. "Wonderful idea. Terrible, wonderful idea. Shouldn't."

"No. Shouldn't." Jack petted Daniel's back, pressing his lips onto the top of Daniel's head.

"Yeah," Daniel agreed sadly.

They tumbled into Jack's bed together. Daniel smelled faintly of Chinese sauce and beer, and was almost instantly asleep, wrapped tightly around Jack and snoring into Jack's ear.

There was no way this Daniel could stay. Entropic cascade. Jack found himself wondering whether his Daniel ascending was a sign that his Daniel **didn't** feel the same way, or that his Daniel **did** feel the same way.

Jack was hard from all the bare skin pressed up against him, but he couldn't really do anything about it without waking Daniel, who, to all appearances, was having an interesting dream he really shouldn't interrupt. That, and Daniel was lying on his right arm, and his right hand was a much better lay than his left. So he sighed and tried to sleep instead.

* * *

Sam went through the mirror with Teal'c and McKay to fix their generator, while Jack stayed behind to wait for Daniel. It was bizarre. Everyone kept staring at her. General Hammond looked like he might cry, and kept patting her on the shoulder.

Janet and General Hammond accompanied Teal'c, Sam, and McKay to the lab, where Lt. Simmons was waiting. "We sure do appreciate you helping us out with the reactor. You just let me know if you need anything, Major," Hammond said.

"Thank you, sir," Sam said, and Hammond gave her one more pat on the shoulder and left, blinking.

"Didn't Merrin make you any pencil sketches of Naquadah reactors?" Sam asked Teal'c.

"She did not."

Lt. Simmons shook his head in agreement.

"Never mind, I brought schematics based on the pencil sketches she made **me**." Sam pulled a portable hard drive out of her backpack.

"Cool!" Simmons said.

"Did you bring enough for the rest of the class?" McKay asked. Sam laughed until he took the hard drive away from her. "**My** computer!" he said.

"You need some pie, honey?" Janet asked. "They've got pumpkin today. Oh! I brought in a red velvet cake; let me go get you a piece!"

"Oh, that's..." Sam started to object, but Janet looked so disappointed that she trailed off and just said, "That would be wonderful. Thank you."

* * *

Jack woke up with Daniel still wrapped around him like a very heavy blanket.

Daniel looked up and blinked. "Jack?" He looked around, slowly waking up, then realized where he was. "Um, sorry about... you know. I shouldn't have... I mean..." Daniel looked away. "Never mind."

"What?" Jack prompted.

"I don't want to be something else you lose." Daniel was solemn, earnest, eyes blazing in contrast to tentative body language.

Jack closed his eyes for a moment, wondering if he really wanted to say what he was thinking, if it was really fair. He opened his eyes and looked into Daniel's, so deep and blue, and admitted, as much to himself as to Daniel, "I've already lost you. I don't mean I lost **him**, the other Daniel, although I did. I mean that you can't stay, that you were lost to me before I met you."

Daniel bit his lower lip, eyes lowered.

"What do you want?" Jack asked.

Not looking up, Daniel acknowledged, "I love him, but I can't have him, not ever." He glanced up into Jack's outraged eyes. "He's not stringing me along. **I'm** stringing me along. I know I shouldn't hope, but I can't help myself and I hate it." He looked away again and sighed. "You're not him, I know that, but... I... care. And I know it's selfish, and I'm sorry, but this is the only chance I'll ever have to..." He bit his lower lip again. "Sorry."

"I think the question," Jack observed carefully, "is whether you'd rather be something I lost, or something I wanted and could never have. I know what I want, and I think you know what I want, too. So I'm asking you again, Daniel: What do you want?"

Daniel considered this, and realized that Jack was right. He **did** know what Jack wanted; Jack wouldn't be Jack if he didn't want to do this. He knew what **he** wanted, too; every cell in his body was longing for it. This Jack had lost so much, he hated to burden him with another loss, but Jack would want that chance, the knowledge of what he was missing; he would want Daniel to trust him to be strong enough to reach out and grab pain with both hands, to choose pain because the reward was more than the cost.

Daniel reached up, slowly, to touch Jack's cheek, to pull him closer for a kiss...

"Should we shower and brush our teeth?" Jack asked, pulling back slightly. "No offense, but I suspect I have morning breath that could kill, and you smell like Chinese food."

Daniel laughed, startled. "You romantic fool," he murmured as he rolled out of bed and headed towards the bathroom. "I'm going to borrow your toothbrush," he announced. "Don't object, you're about to get more of my germs than you know what to do with."

"My toothbrush is your toothbrush," Jack replied generously, following, watching Daniel brush his teeth, Daniel's eyes lingering on Jack watching him.

Daniel spat a big mouthful of used toothpaste into the sink, rinsed off the brush, and handed it to Jack with raised eyebrows before investigating the shower. Jack looked at the toothpaste he had just applied to the brush, and paused, thinking, _I'm going to have sex with Daniel._ He looked over at Daniel just as Daniel bent over removing his underwear and stared. He blinked, and began to brush with a vengeance. _No stinky morning breath._ He glanced over at Daniel's amused face right before Daniel turned to start the shower, climbing in and announcing, "Over here, morning breath."

Jack stepped into the shower, and Daniel switched it on, jumping and yelping, "Damn! That's cold!"

Daniel shivered, and Jack pulled him closer to warm him up, briskly rubbing his hands on Daniel's back, and Daniel reached up and kissed him. It was heaven snatched out of hell, ambrosia stolen from hostile gods, and Jack took it, greedily, with both hands, knowing that the price would be exacted later. The fleetingness made it sweeter, a brief gift, more precious. Jack paused, hoping Daniel felt it was worth the cost, too, and asked, "Are you...?"

"If I learned anything from Sha'uri," Daniel whispered, "from... losing her... Nothing lasts, Jack. Feelings, but nothing else." He blinked away tears, and somehow stayed dry-eyed. "We should take what we can now."

"Get while the gettin's good," Jack agreed softly.

They kissed again, slowly, trying not to squander it, hands sliding curiously over wet skin, hips brushing against each other gently yet insistently, until Jack suddenly shoved Daniel up against the wall for better rubbing leverage, and inquisitive sensuality was replaced by a kind of blind frenzy. Thrusting, grinding, and moaning, nothing mattering except a blindingly glorious now.

"Daniel?" Jack asked, sounding surprisingly young and lost even to his own ears.

Daniel made a sympathetic sound, pulling back to touch Jack's face and look into his eyes. Jack opened his mouth, but nothing came out, so he closed his mouth again, closed his eyes, and leaned his forehead against Daniel's.

"Me, too," Daniel whispered.

They stood together, foreheads touching, holding each other silently until the water started to get cold. They gently towelled each other off, then climbed into Jack's bed together, Daniel's head resting on Jack's chest.

"If this is our only chance, maybe we should, um, try it all," Daniel suggested abruptly. "You want to, um...?"

"Now?" Jack looked pointedly downwards. "I'm not as young as you are, you know."

"Okay," Daniel replied shyly.

Jack lifted Daniel's chin and looked into his eyes, then kissed him and gently pushed Daniel onto his back.

"Jack?" Daniel breathed as Jack moved down his body, his dick springing up immediately as he watched, wide-eyed. Jack looked up and grinned, then lowered his head to suck Daniel. Daniel's hands hovered shakily and awkwardly near Jack's head before tentatively settling on his shoulders as he moaned and squirmed. Jack licked and sucked until Daniel filled his mouth with come, and Jack found it kind of bitter but he savored it, trying to memorize it.

"Thank you," Daniel whispered, which made Jack smile as he moved up close to hold Daniel again, squeezing him tight. "You want me to..."

"Later." Jack kissed Daniel's forehead reassuringly.

"Okay." Daniel curled up close, and they lay together for awhile, listening to each other's breathing. They lay together silently, and after awhile Jack knew from Daniel's even breathing that he was asleep.

Jack didn't want to sleep. It felt like squandering their time together. They'd probably enjoy it more if they slept when they were tired and ate when they were hungry, but Jack still didn't want to sleep.

He curled up closer to Daniel and slept anyway.

* * *

_Janet must have really missed me. Her. Whomever_, Sam thought, looking at her friend as she switched on the naquadah generator.

Janet had been there for hours, chatting, way into the wee hours, and between the two of them they'd consumed half a red velvet cake, a pot of coffee, and some potentially lethal Mexican takeout. "It's getting… I need to get some sleep," Sam yawned. She looked over at Janet, who was looking at her oddly.

"If I give you something," Janet asked quietly, "will you give it to **your** Janet?"

Confused, Sam nodded, and Janet stepped forward and kissed her. "I sure did miss you, honey," Janet whispered, then turned to go, leaving Sam confused and alone.

* * *

Jack woke up with Daniel wrapped around him and the sun shining golden highlights onto Daniel's hair. "Daniel?" he whispered.

Daniel made an irritated noise and rolled over, pulling the pillow over his head.

If they had had longer, Jack would have let him sleep. He considered it anyway, but decided they just didn't have the time. He spooned up behind Daniel and began to cover the back of his neck with steamy kisses.

Daniel swatted in Jack's general direction and groaned.

Jack, finding this adorable, wished he could have an entire lifetime of Daniel sleepily swatting off his amorous morning advances. Suddenly struck with inspiration, he wandered to the kitchen and started brewing coffee. Not just any coffee, either--the good stuff Daniel had given him last Christmas, before everything went to hell. He returned with a cup and sat on the bed next to Daniel. "Sleeping beauty?"

Daniel whined something that might have been, "Ja-ack," but it wasn't coherent enough for Jack to tell.

"I'm sorry," Jack apologized. "Three days."

Daniel opened his eyes and blinked up at Jack confusedly, then nodded and took the coffee, sitting up. He blinked a few times, then patted the bed next to him. Jack moved to sit at Daniel's side, and Daniel put his head on Jack's shoulder.

"Sorry," Jack murmured into Daniel's hair with a kiss.

"S'okay," Daniel muttered sleepily. He took a sip of coffee. "Glad."

"Good," Jack replied softly. He leaned over to kiss Daniel.

"Brush teeth," Daniel teased, yawning.

Jack grinned and got up to brush his teeth. Daniel took another deep sip of coffee. The phone rang, and Jack picked it up and answered. Daniel didn't pay much attention until Jack slammed the phone down and began to curse.

"Colonel O'Neill wants to go home to his wife and children," Jack snarled.

"Tell him no," Daniel replied sleepily.

"What am I going to tell him? 'No, you can't go back because I haven't slept with Daniel enough yet?'" His voice had a hysterical edge to it.

Daniel blinked, worried and suddenly awake. "Just call them back and tell them no. Say I'm not ready to go yet, and I'll catch up." He stood, and walked tentatively towards Jack, stopping a few feet away.

"One GDO," Jack retorted wearily, then turned to face the wall, forehead resting against it, fingers splayed.

"Jack," Daniel breathed, stepping closer and laying a hand on Jack's shoulder. Jack flinched, and Daniel moved even nearer and put his arms around Jack, leaning his head against Jack's back. Jack let out a long, ragged breath, and Daniel squeezed him gently.

Jack turned suddenly, pulling Daniel into a fierce kiss. This wasn't enough, but if it was all they had, he'd take it, take it all. Take now. There was a sudden commotion of hands and lips joined in shared purpose, pure and vehement. Despite stubble and clumsiness, it was perfect and they owned it--the intense and harshly beautiful moment.

Afterwards, they were kind of huddled together on the floor near the bathroom door, sticky and panting, and Daniel asked, "Are you going to be okay?"

Jack smiled, but it was a bravely sad smile. "I'll do my best," he promised.

* * *

"It was good seeing you again," Sam greeted Daniel.

"You, too," Daniel said. The Jack on the ramp cleared his throat, and Daniel rolled his eyes and followed him up the ramp. He turned at the top. That other Jack was looking away, like he couldn't watch, so Daniel turned and stepped into the wormhole. It disengaged behind him, his Jack already heading back towards the mirror.

Daniel looked back sadly towards that other SGC, and Jack stopped dead in his tracks, then lifted Daniel's chin to look at him, and instantly **knew**. Daniel pulled away, and Jack started back towards the other Jack, whole body shaking with possessive rage. Daniel interposed himself in Jack's path, a hand on Jack's chest.

"It was my idea." He stared at Jack, an odd mixture of firm and pleading.

Jack froze for a moment, then flinched away as if he'd been burned. "I have no right to be jealous," he informed the wall. "None." He looked up at Daniel, and admitted, "But I am."

"I know." Daniel stepped closer, laying a hand on Jack's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"You shouldn't be sorry," Jack contradicted. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry you couldn't stay. I'm..." He trailed off, and turned heavily to trudge back towards home.

"I still love you," Daniel informed Jack's back.

Jack missed a step. "Me, too."

They walked in silence to the mirror, and then the DHD, at which point Jack looked up at Daniel. "How do you know you can't stay? Ascended, right?"

Daniel looked questioningly at Jack. "Do you want to hang around and find out?"

"Dial," Jack answered abruptly. Irritated, Daniel dialed earth, then Jack used the GDO and handed it and the mirror remote to Daniel. "Try. If you can't stay... I'll tell them to keep the code active for you."

Daniel just stared. Jack kissed him once on the cheek, whispered, "Go," and stepped into the wormhole.

"Thank you," Daniel said softly as the wormhole disengaged, then turned and walked back towards the mirror.

* * *

"Incoming wormhole," Walter Davis announced. "It's... SG1?" He looked up at Jack and Sam, confused. "Why would they come back?"

"Security to Gateroom," Hammond ordered. "Open the iris."

The iris opened, and a squad of armed men pointed P-90s at the gate. Daniel stepped through. "Um... I couldn't help but notice that you're short a Dr. Jackson..."

"Daniel?" Sam stepped forward, anxious. "I don't know whether our Daniel being ascended will stop entropic cascade..."

"I don't either, but... I'd like to try." Daniel smiled tentatively at Jack, who grinned back.

"As far as I'm concerned, you're welcome to stay," Hammond said. "I'll try to clear it."

Daniel stepped forward and hugged Sam. "I've missed you," he said softly. "Dinner?" he asked.

* * *

Jack closed the front door behind Daniel and immediately fell on him, kissing him with a soft, gentle frenzy. Daniel wrapped his arms around Jack's head, responding in kind, and Jack moved to nuzzle Daniel's neck and ear.

"Where do you want me?" Jack breathed into Daniel's ear.

Daniel blushed faintly, and stammered, "A-anywhere you want." Jack looked up, surprised, and Daniel added, "There wasn't time to be nervous before." He smiled a sweet, shy smile, and Jack felt his heart melt into thick, gooey sap.

"You'll be fine," Jack reassured between kisses.

Daniel blushed brighter and smiled nervously. "Can we, um... bedroom?"

Jack gently brushed his lips across Daniel's forehead, then led him down the hall by both hands. Daniel pulled away and quickly undressed, then lay on the bed and looked up at Jack expectantly. Jack smiled and stripped, all but diving onto the bed next to Daniel, which made Daniel laugh. They looked at each other for a moment, then Daniel reached up to touch Jack's cheek, then slowly cup his hand behind Jack's head and pull him into a kiss, mellow, leisurely and tender, with a slight shy, hesitant undercurrent. Jack pulled Daniel closer, and Daniel's hand slid down, slowly, and finally wrapped around Jack's erection.

"You know," Jack remarked conversationally between kisses, "my right hand is a much better lay than my left."

Daniel burst out laughing. "Ever the romantic!"

Jack wriggled his right arm out from under Daniel and reached for Daniel's dick. "I'm only thinking of you, honeybunches!"

Daniel laughed, and started to object to the appalling pet name, which Jack took as a convenient opportunity to stick his tongue in Daniel's mouth. "Mmph," he protested, and Jack chuckled, still kissing and stroking, and Daniel retaliated, escalating, jerking Jack off.

"Harder," Jack growled into Daniel's mouth, and Daniel suddenly wanted to suck Jack, so he shoved him down onto his back and went down on Jack, licking and sucking and making Jack moan and writhe. This was something he'd wanted to do for so long, and he was glad he waited until it wasn't going to be the last time. It wasn't the last time, but it was a first time, and he wanted it to be good, so he teased mercilessly until Jack was completely incoherent and thrusting blindly upward before finally letting Jack come. It was almost enough to make Daniel come himself... almost.

"Feeling better?" Daniel asked, mischievous.

Jack babbled something and grinned. Daniel grinned back and curled up with Jack, his head on Jack's shoulder, and they lay there for awhile in silence, then Jack kissed Daniel's hair, then slipped his hand down to wrap around Daniel's cock, swirling his thumb on the slick tip. Daniel moaned and thrust up into Jack's hand.

"Love you," Jack whispered into Daniel's lips before scooting down to wrap his mouth around Daniel. He considered teasing Daniel the way Daniel had teased him, but Daniel seemed so hard, so ready for it, that he just decided to straightforwardly suck him off. This time there was none of the frenzy they'd felt before. It just felt like the universe was finally right.

* * *

"Janet?" Sam asked, knocking on Janet's office door and sticking her head inside. Janet looked up and smiled, and Sam closed the door quietly behind her. "I just..."

"Are you all right?" Janet asked. She started to stand, anxiously, but Sam smiled awkwardly and shook her head.

"It's nothing like that, I just..." Sam looked at the floor and blushed. "When I was in the alternate reality, their Janet kissed me," she admitted in a rush. She looked up at Janet, searching for a reaction. Janet's expression was guarded and searching, probably a mirror for her own, Sam guessed.

"Hmm," Janet said, perfectly neutral, not betraying any feelings, positive or negative.

"I... it was confusing." Sam blushed harder and smiled bashfully at Janet, then quickly looked away.

"I'll bet." Sam looked up again, and Janet's expression had softened.

Okay, Janet wasn't offended. Sam wished she were better at this. Not that she even knew what **this** was, but she kind of wanted to find out.

"Why don't you come over for dinner tonight and we can talk about it?" Janet asked carefully, and Sam felt relieved and grateful. It seemed like Janet was good at this; there was something in her cautious, feeling-between-the-lines tone that told Sam that Janet not only wasn't offended but had read her loud and clear.

"I'd like that," Sam said, and smiled.

* * *

As they stepped into the gate room, Rothman was waiting for them. "Hey," Daniel greeted him softly, hoping Robert wasn't upset about being bumped off the team.

Robert replied cheerfully, "Bring me back a souvenir."

"I will," Daniel promised, and they exchanged smiles as the wormhole engaged. Then SG-1 stepped into the event horizon.

* * *

Sara rolled over, taking most of the covers with her. Jack didn't mind. He stood up and went down to the kitchen to poke around the refrigerator. He sighed at the interior of the fridge, dissatisfied, and turned back to the couch, where the dog was sleeping in flagrant disregard of the "no dogs on furniture" rule. Jack smiled indulgently and scratched the dog's ears.

"That was a nice thing you did," Daniel said.

Jack looked up, startled, then shrugged and looked away. Daniel sat next to him.

"You're **their** Daniel." It wasn't a question.

"If I want him to be able to stay, I guess I'm your Daniel." Daniel smiled uncertainly at Jack.

Jack smiled back. "That works." He yawned, then curled up on the other side of the couch and closed his eyes. After a moment, one eye popped open again, looking to see if Daniel was still there.

"Want me to stay?"

"Yeah," Jack mumbled, relieved, then closed his eyes and slept.


End file.
